Recipe - Pipestone Lamb Stew

2 Bay leaves
1 lg Bunch fresh thyme sprigs* or
1 teaspoon Dried thyme
4 Allspice berries
4 pound Lamb stew meat with bones
trimmed
2 md Onions; peeled and halved
cut in 1/4" thick slices
6 lg Garlic cloves; peeled
coarsely chopped
1 One half cup Dry white wine
One fourth cup Prepared horseradish
One fourth cup Worcestershire sauce
28 ounce Can plum tomatoes
3 md Carrots; peeled**
8 ounce Button mushrooms
stems trimmed
caps coarsely chopped
3 lg Celery ribs; trimmed***
2 md Waxy potatoes
peeled and quartered
2 md Russet potatoes; peeled
cut in eighths
Salt and pepper; to taste

GARNISH
1 small Bunch Italian parsley
(opt'l.)

*Strip leaves from the thyme sprigs, to equal abt. 2 tb. of fresh thyme.

**Cut carrots diagonally into 1/2" thick slices.

***Cut celery ribs diagonally into 1/2" thick slices.

Tie bay leaves, thyme and allspice berries together in a piece of
cheesecloth; set aside.

Brown lamb on all sides in a large (at least 8 qt.) heavy stockpot over
mediumhigh heat, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and cook,
stirring frequently, until onions begin to turn translucent, 3 to 4
minutes.

Add the cheesecloth bundle, wine, horseradish, Worcestershire and all the
vegetables to the meat, crushing the tomatoes with your hands or a wooden
spoon. Season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then
cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until potatoes are tender and lamb
is falling from the bone, about 3 hours. (You can also transfer the stew to
a preheated 350 F. oven and cook it there for the same amount of time.)

Remove cover and continue cooking the stew until it has thickened somewhat
but is still soupy, an additional 1 to 1 One half hours. Remove the cheesecloth
bundle and season to taste, adding more horseradish if you like. Mince
parsley; sprinkle over stew. Serve immediately.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings. St. Francis Merlot 1987 goes well with this.

Note: This is a good dish to prepare a day ahead. Remove the cheesecloth
bundle and refrigerate the stew overnight. The next day, skim any fat that
has solidified on the surface and reheat the stew. Season to taste, adding
more horseradish if you like. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Loomis writes: "This recipe comes from Ann Olson, whose husband, Sherman,
raises sheep and the grains they eat on their farm in Danvers,
Minnesota. Ann makes a variety of lamb dishes throughout the year, and
this is one of her favorites. ('Pipestone' is the name of a town in
southern Minnesota, the home of a school where youngsters learn to raise
sheep. This stew, which has evolved over the years, is made there.)

"Horseradish is a curious seasoning for lamb, but it adds a pleasant
bite...Lamb stew meat is often neck meat, which is some of the most
flavorful on the animal. If you do use neck meat, consider removing the
considerable amount of bone before serving the stew."

From _Farm House Cookbook_ by Susan Herrmann Loomis. New York: Workman
Publishing Company, Inc., 1991. Pp. 135136. ISBN 0894807722.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini